About Atheism

Atheism is a very broad term, even though it is basically interpreted as the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. The term is contrasted with theism, which suggests that there exists at least one deity. The word atheism dates back to the 5th Century BCE Greek word atheos, which means “without gods.” Over the years, the application of the word has been narrowed down significantly, thanks to the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry and an increase in the criticism of religion.

Today, there are very few people who understand the concept completely and that is why atheism is often misunderstood and even vilified to a large extent. Different people perceive atheism differently, and hence, it is difficult to determine the total number of atheists in the world. Questions related to atheism can stem from philosophical, social or even historical perspectives. While some rationalize their lack of belief in a supernatural deity as insufficient empirical evidence, others rationalize their stance with the problem of evil that theism fails to resolve at many levels.

Whatever the reason may be for one to turn to atheism, Atheist Republic is one of the few organizations that try to highlight how okay it is to raise questions and seek answers, an idea that is often denounced by many religious people. The team at Atheist Republic strives to educate those interested in atheism, because they unanimously believe that understanding the subject will help one see how most of the attacks made upon atheism and atheists are based on mistaken assumptions and a general lack of knowledge.

Here is hoping you, too, find Atheist Republic to be a resourceful website that not only answers the questions you may have, but also enriches your mind.

Even though atheism is a personal choice, religious institutions seem to find its presence threatening – as in Egypt where it is condemned by Islam.

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Neil deGrasse Tyson says we should ‘reclaim’ the label atheist, and I agree with him. This article explores a little of why we should.

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Rachel Maddow let creationists have it this week when she attacked their claim that dinosaur fossils confirm their myth of creation and a great flood.

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A number of people have noted that Buddhism seems to be lacking in criticisms on many atheist sites. There are some reasons for that, and here is my take on it.

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It has been my pleasure to present my children with as much information about religions as they are interested in. It is my experience that this knowledge reinforces skepticism.

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“If the criteria for something being real was there being no evidence against it, endless number of hypothetical objects would be real.” –Armin Navabi

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A discussion between two people is a dialogue, not a monologue.

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The Virus of Faith

In this documentary Dawkins examines religious dogma as a sort of ideological virus. He argues that, by indoctrinating naive or ignorant people, religious memes evolve and multiply in a way that is similar to a biological infection.

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Once upon a time, religious organizations could go about their "godly" business cloaked in mystery and shadows.

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Atheism: a term that is exasperatingly complex in its simplicity. Many people say, “If you don’t believe in a divine being/god, then you are an atheist.” Others employ a small variation; saying, “If you believe there is no divine being/god, then you are an atheist.” (employing a positive belief statement) While others argue atheist isn’t a term that should exist at all because it’s basically a label for something that is nothing – arguing that the negative should be the baseline or default and shouldn’t require a label. Even famous scientists, who many say are clearly atheists, refuse to use the term and even deride it because of its implicit baggage in the social context.

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